Toy



C. C. STETSON May 5, 1931.

TOY

Filed Sept. 20 1928 Patented May 5, 1931 PATENT OFFICE CHARLES C. STETSON, OF ST. PAUL, MINTVESOTA TOY Application filed September 20, 1828. Serial No. 307,110.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in projectile toys whereby it is desired to provide a toy which is of entertaining value and intellectual interest to 6 children.

The object of my invention is to provide a toy involving the thrill of the noise of an explosion as well as the attractiveness of a visible projectile opening out like a parachute and floating gracefully to the earth.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple toy, inexpensive to manufacture, and with sufliciently sturdy construction to enable it to be used repeatedly.

One feature of my invention is derived from the use of a hammer having a metal receiving cup or barrel into which the base of the projectile, which is in the form of a doll, is readily fitted. The projectile is shot into the air by the force of a percussion cap which is placed into the barrel beneath the base of the doll. The percussion cap is exploded by a sharp blow of the hammer upon a solid object which forces the base of the doll against the percussion cap withinthe barrel.

Another feature resides in the constructing of my projectile in two parts, the main portion being shaped to simulate as nearly as possible the figure of the doll, the skirt portion of A which opens out as the projectile reaches its highest point and begins to descend, and the hood portion which covers the head and holds the skirt portion folded or closed. The skirt of the doll is folded around the stem of the projectile and is held in closed position by a ring which is attached by small wires or threads to the hood portion. This hood is shaped to form a parachute and is pulled apartfrom the main portion of my pro ectile by the action of the'air as the projectile begins to descend. Thisallows the skirt of the main portion of the projectile to open out and retard the progress of this part of the projectile as it floats gently to the earth.

My toy has the advantage of re uiring some skill of operation to give the est results. The angle at which the hammer strikes the blow determines the direction of the projectile and allows the toy to be readily aimed.

The direction'of the air currents will deter mine where the floating parts of the toy will land. In this way I provide a device which is instructive and which will develop the skill of the operator.

Furthermore, the explosion of the percussion cap within the barrel'of the hammer has the advantage of the noise of more dangerous fireworks without fear of accident. The folds of the skirt may be so made to cause the doll to turn slowly in the air as it descends, thus producing an attractive spectacle. In this wa I provide a novel device which 1s simple, p easing in appearance, safe to operate, and inexpensive both to the manufacturer and to the user.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

.Figure 1 shows 111 toy in position to be operated, a portion 0 the hammer handle being broken away.

Figure 2 shows my projectile as it starts to descend.

Figure 3 is a side view of my toy without the hood portion. 75

Figure 4 is an alternative form of the figure of my toy. Y

My toy is'provided with a hammer portion and a projectile portion B. The hammer consists of a handle 10 and a head portion 11 which is arcuated or rounded at the bottom 12 to provide a good contact with the surface against which the hammer A is struck, re- I gardless of the angle at which it is held. In the upper face of the hammer head 11 a hole is formed to allow a small receiving cup or barrel 13 to be inserted. This barrel 13 is formed of a non-rusting material to insure the easy insertion of the base 14 of my projectile portion. The projectile portion B is formed of two parts, a main portion 0 and a cap or hood portion D. The main portion O is constructed with a stem 15 rounded at the top into the form of a head 16 and tapered .from a point 17 near the top where the skirt of the doll is attached, to allow for the increasing bulkiness of the skirt 18. Over the base 14 of the stem 15 a metal ca 19 is fi ted m de o non-corrosive materia to resist the force of the explosion and to prevent rusting.

The skirt of the doll is formed of slightly stifi' paper to allow the skirt to be folded in a particular manner and to allow the paper to stay creased so that it will naturally close into its folded position while not descending in the air. This material is waterroof so that it will not lose its shape when it ecomes dampened. The skirt may also be made in various colors so that while twisting in the air as it descends, it will give the effect of a slow pin wheel.

The hood portion D is formed of a flexible circular sheet of cloth or other suitable material and is fastened at various points 20 along its periphery by small wires or threads 21 which connect it to a metal ring 22. This metal ring 22 is adapted to slide easily over the head of the doll in the main portion of my projectile and down over the folded skirt 18 to keep it in place. The wires 21 are of sufiicient length to allow the ring 22 to be slipped over the doll almost to the lower edge 23 of the skirt 18. A small pin 24 centrally positioned at the top of the head of the doll is adapted to fit in a small hole 25 at the center of the hood, thus allowing the operator to position the hood evenly over the doll. In the operation of my toy a percussion cap 26 is placed in the barrel of the hammer beneath the base 14 of the projectile. A sharp downward blow of the hammer u on a solid object forces the base 14 farther into the barrel 13, causing the percussion cap-26 to explode. The force of the explosion sends the projectile B out into the air in the direction which the barrel 13 is pointing at the time of the explosion. When the projectile B reaches its highest point and starts its descent, the air catches in the loose folds of the hood D and pulls the hood clear of the main portion C of my doll. The metal ring 22 forms a weight or ballast for the parachute D and keeps it in an upright position as it fioats down toward the earth. As the ring 22 slips upward over the skirt of the doll,- the skirt is free to open out, as is shown by the dotted lines in Flgure 3. The metal cap or thimble 19 also forms a weight to keep the doll portion of my toy in an upright position, and the skirt being folded in one direction around the stem of the doll, causes the doll to slowly revolve as it floats downwardly.

I have found my toy to be simple in construction and inexpensively manufactured, thus providing a pleasing and attractive toy at a very low cost. The to may still be used after the hood portion has been lost without the need of purchasing a new hood.

Obviously the body of the fi er C may be made of celluloid and of a hol ow nature so as to be light in weight. The particular formation of the figure of the fiyer is only sugigestive and it is apparent that a miniature gure of any design may be employed in the lower end of the figure.

The skirt 18 may be made with light bamboo or other stifi' ribs of suitable material secured to the skirt in radially extending members which will insure the even and uniform folding of the skirt material and greatly strengthen it when extended. The material of the figure may be water-proofed in a suitable manner so that moisture will not injure or change the general formation of the parts. My toy may be made with a figure such as is illustrated in the drawings in Figure 4, wherein the skirt 18 will be made in such a manner as to project upward above the trunk of the body, the skirt folds curving so as to cause the figure to spin in the air as it descends.

The hood D immediately over the body C of the projectile B, may be itself covered with another hood and that second hood by a third, each of these hoods holding down in position the hood first put on and the next one following. These hoods are so adjusted that when the toy is projected into the air, the topmost hood will first come OE and then the next hood will follow, and after that the third or more, if it is desired. Thus, a multiplicity of hoods forming miniature parachutes can be placed over the figure and one after the other or consecutively these hoods come off when the toy starts to descend.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my projectile toy and while I have shown anddescribed the specific embodiment of the invention, I wish 1t to be understood that changes may be resorted to such as fall within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A toy including a miniature figure of a doll, a parachute skirt for said figure, a parachute hood for said figure, and projectile means adapted to shoot said figure into the air when said pro'ectile means is struck a sharp blow, where y air entering the hood as the projectile descends will cause the hood to leave said figure and the parachute skirt to fioatingly descend said figure in the air.

2. A toy comprising, a slim figure, a skirt parachute for said figure, a weighted end for said figure, a parachute hood for said figure, and means for shooting said figure high in the air, whereby air entering the hood as the figure descends will cause said parachute hood to raise up off of said figure and said parachute skirt to retard the descending movement of said figure with a whirling action thereof. I

3. A toy including, a hollow celluloid miniature figure having a head formed thereon, a trunk portion, a foldable skirt parachute secured integrally to the trunk of said figure,

a weighted end formed on the foot portion of said figure, means for projecting said figure high in the air by an explosive cap, and ring means for holding the free edge of said skirt parachute close to the body of said figure until the same starts to descend in mid-air.

4. A toy projectile including, a lightweight figure, a parachute body for said figure, arcuated creases in said body causing said figure to twirl in the air when descending, and means for projecting said figure high in the air.

5. A hammer projectile toy including, a hammer head having a recess for receiving an explosive cap, a toy figure having an end adapted to fit into said recess, a skirt parachute integrally secured about said figure for floating said toy figure in the air after it has been projected out of said hammer by the explosion of a cap beneath said figure, ring means for holding said skirt folded about said figure as the projectile is fired, and means for removing said ring as the projectile starts to descend.

6. A projectile toy including, means for exploding a cap, a figure adapted to be supported above the explosive cap and to explode the same by percussion, a skirt parachute for said figure, and a releasable hood parachute having means for holding the free edge of said skirt normally closed in the ascending motion of said toy when the cap is exploded and leaving said figure automatically upon descending movement of the same to permit the parachute skirt to spread and float the figure gently in the air.

7. A toy proj ectable figure including, an invertible skirt adapted to normally fold over the lower portion of said figure and to automatically invert by the action of the'air beneath the folds as the figure descends to form a parachute-like means for retarding the descending movement of said figure in mid-air.

8. A toy projectile figure having a body portion of light-weight material, a head portion, a base portion, and an invertible parachute skirt folded in a manner to cause.

creases of an arcuate nature, whereby said figure is adapted to be twirled in its descending movement by action of the air in the arouated creases when said skirt is inverted by the air entering beneath the skirt folds and acting as a parachute for said figure.

9. A rojectile toy includin a lightweight gure, a weighted base oot end on said figure, a parachute skirt for said figure, a parachute hood for said figure, means for projecting said figure high in the air whereby said parachute hood will float ofi of said figure, permitting said parachute skirt to float said figure gently descending in-the air.

10. A top including, a light-weight figure resembling a doll having a slim body formation, a head portion, a base portion, a parachute skirt, a hood parachute, a weighted ring for said hood parachute adapted to set freely over the free ends of said skirt, whereby when said figure is projected high in the air said parachute hood will be drawn off of said figure and the skirt of said figure will cause the same to descend gently in the air.

11. A projectable toy figure having a head portion, a base portion at the foot thereof, spreadable means for retarding the descent of said figure in its descending movement in the air, and separable means for virtually concealing the figure when the projectile is fired, said separable means including a portion retaining said spreadable means against spreading during ascent of said figure and said separable means being separable in mid air.

CHARLES C. STETSON. 

